I remember learning about the 5 senses as a kid, and wondering why touch is on the list. Shouldn’t it be “feel”? The act of touching doesn’t always result in one actually sensing something. I’m finally asking the question over 3 decades later. The “pencil mark in body” thread somehow reminded of this unanswered question in my head.
Do you mean like if you have gloves on or something? The other senses also don’t do anything if they’re impeded in some way.
‘Feel’ would be too ambiguous a word.
Of course, we don’t really have five senses at all,it’s just that those five are the main ones we’re aware of.
Each of the other 4 senses refer to the actual sensing itself. In your example, if your eyes are shielded, you don’t see. The “seeing” is the sensing. However, you can touch something and not actually feel it. Someone or something can touch you and not feel you. In these cases, there is no sensing involved.
I agree that “touch” seems misnamed. After all, “look” and “listen” and “sniff” and “eat” aren’t senses.
Some form of the word ‘tactile’ perhaps?
Then it probably is simply because the other option, feel, is too vague. We all know what’s meant by 'the sense of touch, anyway.
Touch is also called tactition.
Did you ever wonder why many persons refer to “five” senses?
I once read that some ancient, perhaps a Greek, made a list of “five” then proceed to describe six. So the story went he included the vestibular sense even though he did not put it in the list.